Final Vote on Election Bill Near

Published 9:00 pm, Wednesday, April 10, 2002

A long-debated election overhaul bill is nearing passage in the Senate as one answer to the balloting problems that came to fore in the last presidential election.

Even after Senate passage _ which was expected sometime Thursday _ the $3.4 billion bill will have to be reconciled with a measure passed in the House.

"The 2000 election opened the eyes of many Americans," Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., said as final debate opened Wednesday night.

The push toward final passage wraps up a debate that began in February. Balloting problems in Florida marred the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, delaying a decision in the presidential race until 36 days after voting.

The Senate bill, which would spend the money over five years, requires that states enact computerized statewide registration lists and accessibility provisions for the disabled.

Senators have added a provision to require first-time voters who register by mail to prove their identities with photo IDs, utility bills or some other documents.

For voters in Oregon and Washington state, which have vote-by-mail systems, voters can write their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on forms when they initially register to vote. No further documentation is needed for mail-in voting.

The $2.6 billion House bill, which passed in December, sets some minimum standards, but allows states to develop their own improvements. The Senate version mandates that states enact certain changes.

Civil rights groups have lobbied heavily for the Senate version, but state and local governments prefer the House bill.

The White House has already signaled its support for some sort of election overhaul bill. President Bush included a $400 million down payment in his budget proposal for next year to go toward an eventual $1.2 billion fund for state and local governments to use.